1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bulb socket.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-31328 discloses a bulb socket with a rectangular tubular fitting configured for receiving the base of a wedge-base bulb. Terminal fittings are provided in the tubular fitting and have resilient holding pieces that engage retaining projections of the base when the base is inserted in the fitting. Thus, the base is retained and held by this engaging action.
The resilient holding pieces are exposed at an opening of the fitting in the above-described bulb socket. Thus, the leading end of the base of the bulb might enter a clearance between a surrounding wall of the fitting and the resilient holding piece and could inadvertently deform the resilient holding piece inward away from the surrounding wall of the fitting.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H10-284204 discloses a frame-shaped cover that can be mounted at the opening of the fitting of a bulb socket. The cover covers the resilient holding pieces, and hence the base of the bulb cannot contact and damage the resilient holding piece. Thus, the cover may be considered a way to avoid damaging the resilient holding piece. However, the cover does not avoid all problems. More particularly, the light emitter of the bulb is held by a chuck of an assembling apparatus for mounting the wedge base bulb into the fitting of the bulb socket. Wedge base bulbs generally are made of glass and have large dimensional tolerances. Accordingly, an amount of displacement between a base and a light emitter can be large. Thus, even if the chuck and the light emitter are moved to specified positions, the position of the base can be displaced with respect to the fitting. In such a case, the base might interfere with the cover to hinder insertion of the base of the bulb into the fitting.
The invention was developed in view of the above and an object thereof is to enable a base of a wedge base bulb to be mounted reliably in a bulb socket that has a cover for protecting a resilient holding piece in a fitting.